Plan to take land from nuns dropped

Eve Mitchell, SPECIAL TO THE EXAMINER

Published 4:00 am, Thursday, April 9, 1998

1998-04-09 04:00:00 PDT SAN MATEO COUNTY -- LOS ALTOS - Responding to public and political pressure, an open space district has decided to drop plans to seize an enclave of rural land outside of Woodside where a convent of nuns wants to build a new home.

The agreement also calls for the convent to sell 60 percent of the land to the district and for the dismissal of an eminent domain lawsuit to acquire the land.

It's the same land proposal made by the convent before but one with additional legal language such as giving the district first crack at buying the land if it's ever sold to the public, according to Colleen Doherty, the attorney for the convent.

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The convent has proposed building a chapel, convent and religious retreat on six acres next to Skyline Boulevard.

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Currently, the eight sisters, most of whom are elderly, live in a convent at 19th and Capp streets in the Mission District. For years, they have dreamed of moving to a quieter, more rural location more conducive to meditation and prayer, the kind of place that would attract younger sisters.&lt;

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